Boat construction



- Jul 29, 1947. I

S. F. STREICKER ET AL BOAT CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 3, 1944 INVENTOR5.

y [dd/42rd W vdll;

Patented July 29, 1947 Seymour Streicker and EdWard'W. Malek, Chicago,111.; said Malek assignor to said Streicker Application'January 3, 1944,Serial-No. 516,764

1' Claim.

1 The present invention relates to improvements inboats. Moreparticularly, it pertains to an improved construction for boats, such ascanoes, or the like, in which the transverse ribs are formed of tubesconsisting of a lightweight metal and secured in position in anysuitable manner.

A principal object of the invention is the provision of a novel type oftransverse rib to be utilized in connection with boat construction, therib preferably consisting of a light-weight tube having sealed portionsproviding fluid confining chambers for the tubes, the tubes ortransverse ribs being secured to the longitudinal ribs or longrons ofthe boat.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide aboat construction having longitudinal ribs with preformed transverseribs secured thereto, the transverse ribs consisting of lightweightmetallic seamless tubes, or the like, having flattened sealed endportions in which opposite wall sections lie contiguous each otherproviding air confining chambers'for the tubes.

Another object of the invention is to provide transverse ribs fromhermetically sealed seamless tubes which are simple yet sturdy anddurable of constructiom'are readily bendable to any desired shape, willmaintain their shape and rigidity, after being'secured in position andwhich, when properly sealed, will be buoyant in water.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious, and will in partappear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessingthe features, properties, and the relation of elements which will beexemplified in the article hereinafter described and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the claim.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the inventionreference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a View illustrating a piece of seamless or drawn tubing, witha portion thereof removed, before being bent into desired shape to forma transverse rib;

Fig. 2 is a side view of an end portion of tubing showing the tipflattened Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views illustrating a modified form offlattened tube end;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of a fragment of a boatconstruction illustrating a bent transverse tubular rib secured inposition;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary portion of a tube show- 2 ing one means ofsecuring the same to a longron;

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of Fig. 7, partly in section, furtherillustrating the meansfor securing the tube; and

Fig. 9 is a modified form of tube construction illustrating a manner forsecuring the same in position. 7

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is indicated generallyat It) in Fig. 1 a piece of seamless or drawn tubing of any desiredlength as indicated by the portions removed. This material may consistof so-called Dow metal or magnesium metal, or any othersuitablelightweight metal, although it iswithin the contemplation of theinvention that other suitable nonmetallic materials, such as plastics,can be used.

Preferably, such tubing can first be cut to any desired length, that is,the length of the various size ribs which it is intended to use astrans- Verse ribs in boat construction. In one form of the invention, asillustrated in 1 Figs. 2 and 3, the tube is pressed together-at bothends in such a manner that opposite wall sections are brought forciblyagainst each other by flattening the same, as indicated at ll. Suchmetal is sufficiently malleable that when these opposite wall sectionsare brought together in contiguous relationship they form an absoluteseal so that air is confined between the'ends of the sealed tube,thereby forming air or fluid confining chambers. It is also within thecontemplation of the presentinvention to use a gaseous or other suitablemedium in the confined portions of the tube which will make them buoyantin water.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, there is illustrated a tube flattened at itsend, as indicatedat l2, but in a somewhat different manner, the end ofthe tube being squeezed together. In themodification shown in Figs. 2and 3, the top portion, after the tube has been placed against a flatsurface, is brought down in such a manner that a different figuration issecured. The flattened ends of any of the tubes can be drilled asindicated at I3.

After a tube such as that indicated in Fig. 2 has been hermeticallysealed at the ends it can readily be bent around a suitable forming toolto impart thereto a generally U-shaped configuration. With the tube inthis condition it forms an excellent transverse rib and can be securedto the longitudinal ribs of a boat as indicated in Fig. 6.

Preferably, the ends of the tubes where they are flat are secured to theuppermost longitudinal ribs by means of suitable screws or bolts M. The

remaining portions of the tubes where they overlie the longitudinal ribscan then be secured as indicated in Figs. 7 and 8 by stainless steelstraps l secured by means of screws'lli, I6 to the longitudinal ribs I7.It will be seen that the strap l5 has been punched as indicated at l8 toprovide a burr l9 on the underside of the strap. This enables the strapas it is drawn against the tube, to grip the tube, more firmly to secureit in position. The burrs I9 should not be of such length as to puncturethe walls of the tubes and destroy their hermetic sealing char-eacteristics. The tube lilis of softer metal than the strap l5.

In another modification, as illustrated in Fig. 9, on or moreintermediate portions of r the tube can be provided with flattened areasas indicated generally at 20. When drilled in these flattened areassuitable screws or bolts 2!, 2! can be used to secure the tubes tovarious adjacently lying longitudinal ribs. This type of constructionnot only provides a plurality of air chambers which will permit the tubeto retain its buoyancy characteristics, even though certain of the otherremaining tubes are punctured, but such a modification can be utilizedfor heavier types of boat construction.

It is also within the contemplation of th invention to utilize similartubes with little or no flattening at all. For example, the ends can beplugged with any suitable material, such as rubber, cork etc. thusproviding a single air chamber for each tube, This material can beforced into the ends of the tube. Intermediate portions of the tubes cansimilarly beplugged providing one or more air chambers if desired. It isfurther within the contemplation of the invention that these pluggedsections also be flattened to any desired extent and then drilled toreceive screws. Thus, a sealing gasket is provided in that type of tubeand there is obtained enhanced sealing characteristics. In either formof construction, and in particular that described in connection withoutthe'use of plugs, a certain amount of heat in addition to pressure canbe utilized to secure a coalescence or weld at the contiguous spaces onthe opposite wall section.

The present invention has many advantages. For example, besides beingbuoyant because of the air chamber or chambers provided, there is greatrigidity, and such tubes are readily bendable for forming intotransverse ribs without danger of weakening them as is true of angleiron constructions where that type of material has been suggested foruse as ribs.

It will thus be seen that the objects hereinbefore set forth can readilyand efiiciently be obtained, and since certain changes may be made inthe above article and different embodiments of the invention could bemade without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

In a boat construction, the combination comprising longitudinal ribs andtransverse ribs secured thereto, said transverse ribs consisting oflight-weight buoyant malleable metallic tubes having flattened oflsetsealed portions at the ends thereof with remaining portions of the tubesbeing circular in cross-section and in which opposite wall sections ofsaid sealed portions lie contiguous each other providing air confiningchambers for the remaining portions of said tubes, said sealed portionsconsisting of opposite wall sections of said tubes lying in faceto-facecontacting relationship, the contacting faces of said metal beingsufiiciently malleable so that when said opposite wall sections arebrought together in contiguous relationship they provide an absolutehermetic seam construction, and a securing means including a strap ofmetal fastened around at least one of said tubes and being secured toone of said longitudinal ribs at the bottom of the boat, said straphaving a detent in its top surface and a protruding sharp grippingportion in its bottom surface overlying said tube, said tube being ofsofter metal than said strap, and said gripping portion being embeddedin the top Wall a substantial distance without penetrating the same,thereby maintaining said hermetically sealed characteristics of saidtube.

SEYMOUR F. STREICKER. EDWARD W. MALEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,049,968 Mead Aug. 4, 19361,050,481 Lundin et al Jan. 14, 1913 1,462,533 Clark July 24, 19231,773,357 Griswold Aug. 19, 1930 1,564,826 Chilton et a1. Dec. 8, 19252,083,410 Stiver June 8, 1937 747,393 Eyermann Dec. 22, 1903 37,236 LaMothe Dec. 23, 1862 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 34,172 NorwayFeb. 13, 1922

